Mercenaries of Fate
by KaijuKnight
Summary: Like a plague, The Golden Alliance swept into Hyrule and the nation now stands enslaved. Those who escaped the Kingdoms fate are forced to adapt or perish. But when the bearers of Courage and Wisdom are united, the battle begins anew. Freedom to Hyrule! Fear the Wolf's Head!
1. Prologue: Plague of Darkness

**Hello again and welcome to the story I am calling my not so delightful change of pace. I am looking forward to writing this as it will be a much more mature and original story than my other story "The Seventh Seal". Here is the prologue.**

**Disclaimer!: This story is rated 'M' for: Action Violence, Descriptive Blood and Gore, Dark/Scary Imagery, Language, Sexual Reference and maybe Sexual Situations. You have been warned.**

**Story Suggestions: 'How Zelda Got Her Groove Back' by Zelda Rubix; 'Wolfbane AU' by Slade1987.**

* * *

**Two Years Ago**

The strange man's dark eyes were smirking. He wore a tight fitting hood, the outline of his rounded ears pushing through the brown fabric. The King took note of the man's eyes because that is really all he could see of the man's face. Everything from the nose down was covered by a black mask made out of some foreign coarse fabric. The headgear undoubtedly was there to protect the man from the harshness of his homeland. He was a Goroshen, a swarthy man from the Wastes of Gorosh, a reigion of deserts and wasteland populated by giant beasts and untold danger. Somehow, this man's entire race survived in the unsavory environment. Living as nomads, they wandered the far reaches of the barren dunes.

This was some of the sparse information King Daphnes Harkinan III knew of his visitor. He was armed, a simple spear, which stood a full head taller than the man, made of wood and bone. His armor matched the colors of his garb, all yellows and browns and everything in between. Sharp plates of bone stuck out of his shoulders and arms, while most of the rest of him was protected by leather. He was an intimidating presence to say the least.

The last thing the King knew for sure, was that the man was a messenger. He came speaking on behalf of his Master, the Lord and Ruler of a union that the man before the King kept calling 'The Golden Alliance'. However, the name did not strike Daphnes as familiar. He assumed this union was small and only just growing. Yet the man standing before the King spoke as if the might of this body was to be feared and not to be taken lightly.

"You will heed my warning, Hylian King!" The Goroshen spoke in a voice that sounded like it had been blasted with sand for twenty years. Although considering the man's heritage, the grating sound may have been caused by just that. "The flood that is our might will sweep over these lands and claim many lives. You would be wise to respect this power and yield before your people… and their families… suffer for your pride."

The King was still trying to understand just what this man was trying to say. Certainly this alliance was not solely interested in a conflict. And even if they were, how do they expect to stand against the entire Royal Hylian Army? They would be swept aside like hay in a strong wind.

"I am not threatened by your idle threats. If your 'Golden Alliance' is as powerful as you say it is, then why have you not attacked yet? No! I think you and your force are as afraid of our might as you are trying to make us feel of yours. Begon! I will hear no more of your bantering. You do not know the forces with which you meddle. Hyrule is protected by our Goddesses and they shall see to our safety. What have we to fear from you?"

The man never moved. He never even blinked at the King. He made no indication that he even heard the King for several moments. Daphnes was beginning to question the man's mental state. He would have demanded an explanation had it not been for the response that eminated from the man's mouth. Or at least, it seamed to come from his mouth.

"You are a fool, Daphnes!" The voice did not belong to the desert man. It boomed out of him, louder than should have been possible. Everyone in the room seemed to shake with it's sound. The King made out a soft gasp from behind and to his left. His daughter had lost her composure for a moment. At the time, Daphnes did not fault her for it. If he were not occupied, he would have told Zelda that he nearly lost it as well.

"I give you the chance to join me willingly and you spit in my Voice's face." There was a pause as the voice seemed to take a breath. "But what you do not realize is that I do have something for you to fear… The Gerudo Regime, lead by the High Priestess of Din, has just sworn themselves to the Alliance."

Daphnes' breath caught and he visibly paled. Relations with the nearby Gerudo had never been good, but the two nations shared a settled peace for the last thirty years and Daphnes never had any reason to fear a threat from the desert in that time. Perhaps he should have. The Gerudo had lost or ceased every war they had ever faught with Hyrule, But that was due in no small part to their smaller size. The nearly all woman race was made up of fierce warriors and they knew Hylian battle plans by heart. Hyrule had always won by strength and size, but if the Gerudo were to ally themselves with a larger force that used their knowledge…

The King paused as the repercusions of an outright refusal settled on his mind.

"Lord Hestous!"

"Yes your Majesty."

"Prepare an envoy." The room seemed to freeze at these words. All the nobles present shared the same expression: Wide eyed and jaws dropped. "You will assign an ambassador to return to this Golden Alliance and begin negotiating a peace."

The instructions reached their target, but the Minister of Foreign Relations took a moment to process the details. Slowly, he responded.

"Of course… Your Majesty."

The King addressed the desert visitor again.

"Hyrule will not surrender her sovereignty, but we are willing to come to terms for peaceful coexistance. I hope that this course of action is best for all of us."

The Goroshen was blinking as the King finished, shaking his head as if to regain his bearings. After steadying himself, he locked eyes with the King and Daphnes shuddered at what he found there. Darkness. Perfect, flawless…darkness.

"It will be, Hylian King."

* * *

**One Year Ago**

Zelda often wondered if there was something not quite right about herself. At sixteen years old and Princess of Hyrule, she was now sharing in the responsibilities her Father, the King, was usually able to handle himself. And Zelda relished it. While others her age would have been exhausted and overwhelmed at the mere thought of such responsibility, Zelda took it and ran. She found that the day to day decisions to be made in the castle were sometimes to simple for her to solve and she would often go to her Father and help with his problems. Yes, there was definitely something wrong with her.

But she did not have time to focus on such trivial things at the moment. War was fast approaching and all the preparations had to me made. Despite the effort her Father had made to find a peaceful resolution to the demands of the Golden Alliance, their Ruler had never once backed away. He, or they were quite certain that it was a he, had simply accepted their offers and then demanded more and more and more. And now, he was marching his Army right into the heart of Hyrule. Which is why the Princess was at the Royal Academy.

"Your Grace, it is a pleasure to see you." The man speaking was Colonel Jek Ryker, Commandant of the Royal Academy. It was his responsibility to train all the new recruits that would all too soon be joining the Royal Hylian Army on the battlefield. "I trust the King is well?"

Zelda sighed irritably, a sound that did not sound right coming from a teenager rather then an old Lord with silver flecked hair.

"As well as can be expected with an invasion force breathing down our throats." The Princess' voice was not harsh, but it did have a hard edge as she maintained her stern visage. "I'm afraid I have no time for small talk, Colonol, so let us get right to the point. Are ther any issues to report?"

The Colonol seemed to take the rebuff without a second thought as he fell into step on the Princess' left.

"None that we can find. The new training program, while rigorous, is producing some of the finest soldiers we have ever seen straight out of the Academy. In fact, one of our rising stars is right over there." He pointed as they passed the sparring grounds. "Would you like to take a look?"

Zelda nodded as the pair shifted course toward the sound of steel meeting steel. When they reached the grounds, the main attraction was a pair of young men surrounded by a swarm of other young men. The two were shirtless, save for some bandages that seemed to be covering sparring wounds. They each wore leather gauntlets and bore Gladious', short swords with wide blades and no cross guards. They didn't seem to be an even matched for a practice duel. One was a full head taller then the other, with lots of red hair, golden eyes and a wide build. The shorter man, if he could be called that at roughly six feet, was still very well built. His blue eyes also seemed sharper and more focused then the redhead and there was not as much of his sandy hair as his opponent had.

Zelda found herself appreciating the 'smaller' man's physique and let a mischevious smirk grace her smile.

The two men had been sparring as she appraised them, the redhead clearly used to using his size to his advantage. He constantly pressed his attack. The sandy man was almost always on the defensive and Zelda wondered what was so incredible about him.

"He has made the top mark in every subject." The Colonol started, answering Zelda's unasked question. "He has proven to be a masterful tactician, archer, horseman… All his Academic studies are flawless. And he is a born leader. Most of the recruits follow him without a second thought. The exception being Groose there." He pointed to the redhead with to much hair. "All in all, I expect young Link to make an outstanding officer one day."

Link. That was the name of the sandy haired man. She still was not all that impressed by him- She spoke too soon.

With a great amount of force, Link swatted Groose's sword, pushing the blade toward the hand it was held in; Groose's right. Then, with speed that defied reason, Link swung his sword in a full, verticle circle, hitting Groose's sword in the back of the blade. The vibrations from the two attacks loosened the redhead's grip on his Gladious and the sword flew out of his hand, spinning. Link then used the momentum from his disarming strike to spin completely around, gently bearing his blade across Groose's neck. Groose could only raise his hands in surrender.

'Clink'

Groose's sword finally hit the ground, the tip sticking into the dirt not two feet infront of Zelda. Looking up from the sword, she let her shock and awe show on her face. She was impressed. The recruits had began to disperse, most going back to their own sparring practice. Link sheathed his blade and reached out to shake the hand that Groose had offered.

"Your Grace, we should continue with the inspection."

Zelda silently nodded to the Colonol as she began to move away. Just before she turned away though, the young warrior named Link looked directly at her. They stayed that way until Zelda turned a courner and they could no longer see one another.

"What a fascinating young man…" She said to herself. Zelda had to snicker at her chioce of words. She was analytical even with men. There was deffinately something wrong with her…

* * *

**Present**

Red… Orange… Black… These were the colors that assaulted Link's senses as he once again had to sidestep or be impaled by one of his foes bone-bladed weapons. The Red was everywhere. Pooling on the ground. Running through the divots that marked the battlefield. It colored his sword. It even covered his armor. He swung his sword, the blade cutting thru what had to be it's thousanth warrior. That warrior was now also red, the deep gash in his chest growing as the color escaped his wound. He fell then, joining the dozens of others Link had sent to the Goddesses today. He prayed that he would not join them.

The Orange was everywhere too, but not as much. It bit and tore at the houses in the town Link had just left, the one his unit had been defending. The one that would be only ash and chared skeletons before dawn. The Orange was everywhere. It jumped and flew and crept around. It was reaching higher now, it's movements a macabre dance of death and destruction. The Orange had even found a home on some of his fellow soldiers. As the whistling darts thrown at them from across the field buried deep into their flesh, the color would consume them, consume his friends, his brothers, those that he had grown so close to over the last year.

But the worst color, that was the Black. For the Black covered the very heavens above him as Link stabbed another man and moved to intercept his partner. The Black was the storm that was now pelting the with ice cold liquid. But it could not have been water falling from the sky. No, it was just more Black. Black was the day that had finally come. Dark and twisted, a mockery to the light that was once Hyrule. Black surrounded them now, was in their very minds. For it was also the color of their thoughts. Were they not dwelling on the knowlegde that the King had been captured? Was it not true that thousands of Hylians, Humans, Gorons, Zora and perhaps even Kokiri were now never going to see another dawn? Had he not heard the words? The words that told him the Princess was dead, killed trying to escape the massacre that was Castle City. All was Black. Until the Red overtook it.

Link watched helplessly as one of the few men who were still fighting by his side was run through with a Gerudo Halberd. His commander, Captain Arick Kellow fell back from the mortal wound, his armor and the Halberd stained dark red with his own blood. Link acted on instinct. He ran as fast as he could, hell bent on killing the woman who had wounded his Captain. The olive-skinned warrior withdrew her bloodied weapon from the soldier and readied it to do the same to Link. But as the woman thrust the shaft forward, it met nothing but air as Link threw his legs forward and let his body drop, sliding along the slick earth as the halberd pushed over his head. The Gerudo couldn't recover. As Link's foot met a rock, his force carried him up and forward. He attacked then, driving his Gladious into the woman's throat. He flinched at the wet squish that accompanied the motion. With a flick of his wrist, the blade twisted, severing the head completely and sending it rolling across the battlefield.

Link dropped his sword and knelt by the Captain, lifting him up and shaking him lightly.

"Sir! Sir!" He yelled. "Captain, wake up! We have to retreat!"

The soldier stirred, caughing up blood as he gasped and weezed. He openned his eyes, the green orbs looking hollow and dim in his curent state.

"You fool… Boy…" He sputtered and coughed again. "There is nothing more to be had from this battle. Run!"

Link fervently shook his head.

"Not without you, Sir. I'm getting you out of here! You have a wife and daughter waiting for you and I am not going to let you disappoint them!"

The Captain laughed at his subordinate, an empty gesture considering the circumstances.

"Don't worry about them… They knew this could happen..." He weezed, trying to steady himslf. "Link, kid, you listen to me now. This battle is over… But it is not going to be the end of Hyrule. Hyrule will never die as long as good men like you are willing to fight for it. That is why…" He coughed, a steady stream of red following it. "…You have to go. Hyrule is in your hands now. You have to fight for her… This is not the end… This will not be her fate… and don't you let anyone tell you otherwise! Hyrule will rise again and even in times like these we have to believe that the darkness will fade." He was struggling now, every word was labored. "… The future is yours now… Change it for Hyrule… and remember… there is…no…fate…but what…we make…"

With a long sigh, the Captain slumped back and did not move again. With the ever louder sounds of battle closing in, Link spared no time. He grabbed his sword and a nearby shield, gently closed his commander's eyes and ran. He ran and ran until all he could hear was his own heartbeat. He knew it would be a long time before he saw the Hyrule he knew return. He knew that it might never happen in his lifetime. But he also knew that he would not rest, he would not stop until he saw it or the Goddesses. He would fight and he would win.

"This is not the end! The future is not written! There is no fate but what we make!"

* * *

**Well, what do you think? I've never written darkish before and I don't know if it came across the way I wanted. This story is going to deviate from the classic Zelda Mythos, which is why I am classing it as AU. **

**And before everyone asks, Yes, I did steal the last sentence from the Terminator movies, but it also has a really good reason to be there.**

**Please review. I love feedback!**

**Stay Frosty!**


	2. Ch 2 Bars are not good for relaxing

**Finally done and edited. I am very happy with this one. It really continues the feel of the story with some less then savory characters. **

**Also: I do not own the Legend of Zelda or any registered character there of. I do however own all OCs and their multiple adaptations.**

* * *

Seven Years Later

Terk stood behind the counter, idly wiping down the bar as he waited for the next customer to come in or order to be retrieved. As you can imagine, Terken Hydde was a bartender, owner and proprietor of the 'Masked Flagon'. His was the most thriving business in the small Terminan town of Argith. The town wasn't much to look at. Barely a speck on the map to most that passed through, but to the Trapper, Woodsman, Mercenary or Soldier scattered throughout the surrounding wilderness, the town was a blessed escape back to civilization.

And Terk saw every one of them. Talked to them, too. He was a bartender after all. He was also the type of man that people naturally trusted. He was a bigger man, not fat of course, but he had some weight. He was tall, with thinning brown hair and inviting brown eyes. What could he say; he was just the right kind of guy.

'Ting-ing-ing-ng-n'

The small bell that sat above the front door tingled as one of Terks regulars walked in. The young man's name was Kafei. Like a lot of Terminans, he had a seemingly unnatural color to his hair; Blue. But such a color was actually quite common among Terminans. There was something about their heritage that spawned their odd looks.

Kafei took his usual seat at the bar and nodded to Terk. The barkeep just nodded back, slinging the towel over his shoulder as he turned to grab a half-empty bottle of Hylian Whiskey. The lad came in a lot recently. Drinking and talking his sorrows away. Until recently, the boy, and that's what he was at nineteen, was engaged to be married to one of the towns more energetic Redheads. Her name was Anju and the two seemed to be inseparable… That is until the night Anju disappeared without a word. No warning, no hint, not even a note left behind; She was just gone.

Rumor around the town was that she met some charming young Officer and decided to be romantically swept into the sunset. Terk didn't believe it for a second and told Kafei that every night. He'd known Anju longer than most. She just wasn't the fickle type. Kafei would listen to him of course, nursing his whiskey and staring at the wall. No telling if he believed the barkeep or not, but he would listen all the same.

Tonight looked to be no different as Terk set down a glass, dropped in an ice cube and poured the man his first drink.

'Ting-Ting-Ting-g-g-ging-ing-ing-in-in-n'

The door opened again, this time producing a group of people. Or rather, producing two groups of people. Six of them were new to Terk, wearing black armor and dark cloaks. They took of their cloaks when they entered, the evening's rain steadily wetting the floor. They also were staring at the second, more noticeable group. Each of the seven men were dressed in a similar fashion; Bright red shirts and pants with some small pieces of stained red leather all bound together with polished gold chest plates and gauntlets. They were a flashy group, for sure. The only thing the two groups had in common was their accessories; they were both armed to the teeth! Swords, shields, daggers, axes; Each group had as many weapons as the town had people.

But why not!? Both groups were Mercenaries. They were a part of the world's universal secret society. Like the name suggests, Mercenaries are indeed hired blades. They offer their services, however unscrupulous, to the highest bidder. And they were good at what they did. Kill or be killed. This was the unspoken rule that they all lived by. It was the only rule they never broke.

That isn't to say that mercenaries are all the same. Quite the opposite, each group of mercenaries was like its own private nation. They each had their ideals or lack thereof. They all had some sort of code or moral obligation that bound them as a cohesive unit. And like all nations, if one of their laws was broken, there were consequences. The consequence was usually death.

The two groups seated themselves, the flashy ones sitting in the corner to the right of the door from where Terk watched them. The second group sat even with the bar, two tables down. Terk nodded to Serenity, one of his barmaids. He directed her with his eyes to the flashy group, who called themselves the 'Crimson Bright'. Terk knew'em. They came in every couple of weeks to celebrate their most recent scores. An odd group of men who didn't seem to fit together right, but they were successful enough to earn them a reputation. That meant they were at least good at something.

Serenity now stood at their table, smiling at the men as they laughed, clapped and gawked at the young woman. Terk rolled his eyes. He was usually pretty protective of his girls, not letting them get into any sort of trouble with the patrons, but he knew that the red boys wouldn't do anything stupid. They'd just be really loud and probably crude. Nothing Serenity couldn't handle.

This new group he'd handle himself. He didn't know them and that made them unpredictable. Taking a pencil and a piece of paper, he went to see what they wanted. As he approached, they were all huddled close together, speaking in quiet whispers across the table. It was then that Terk noticed something you didn't see very often with Mercs. One of them was a woman! And by the way it looked, she was their leader.

"Evenin' all." He greeted as he stopped next to the table, the warrior's still closed in. "Welcome to the Masked Flagon. Tonight we're serving shredded Pork and Beef Stew, with plenty of bread, fruit and vegetables to go with it. Can I start you out with somethin' to drink?"

Everything he said was cheerful and welcoming, but the group ignored him. They seemed to be too caught up in what they were discussing to answer him… or even acknowledge his existence. He waited afew seconds before he rolled his eyes and turned to go back to the bar.

"Where do you think you're going?" the sentence was less a question and more a threat, uttered by the woman who was now glaring at him with undisguised anger on her face. "We haven't ordered yet…"

Terk had a gut for trouble. He always knew when there was going to be trouble and who was going to cause it. It's why he made a great bartender and why he kept a club under the bar. These men were trouble. This woman was double that.

"I can see that you haven't ordered yet." Terk responded, unfazed by the woman's unappealing attitude. "If you were, I'd still be standing at the table. I have other customers to attend to so I don't have all night to wait for you and your cronies to give me the time of night. You either order while I'm there or call me back when you're ready. And if you don't like it, you can leave and find somewhere else to take up space."

He wasn't aggressive. He wasn't abrasive. Terk spoke matter-of-factly to the woman, whose face betrayed nothing of what she was feeling toward his words. Her companions, on the other hand, were not happy. Two of them stood, their hands resting on daggers as they glared at the bartender. Terk was about to bolt for the bar when the woman raised a hand and motioned for them to sit back down. Terk didn't let them see it, but he was sighing in relief.

"Alright old man, we'll order. Tankards all around and… what do you think boys? Does beef stew and bread sound good?" She turned back to the men for an answer. Varying nods were her response. She turned back to Terk bearing a twisted smile and an unsettling look in her eyes. "Alright, it'll be stew and bread all around, too. And you might want to start a new pot. We get mighty _hungry_ after a job." The woman stole a sideways look at Serenity as she passed on her way to the bar. She looked back at Terk only to nod. Their order was done.

Terk turned quickly, anxious to leave the woman's gaze. The group laughed as he walked away, starting now to carry on like any other patron. Serenity was walking back to the other mercenaries now, a tray of assorted drinks in her arms. Terk shuddered when he thought back to how the Merc woman had looked at his barmaid. He suspected that food wasn't the only thing that group was hungry for. He was filling said groups tankards when he heard laughter in the street outside the bar. Now normally, laughter before someone coming into the bar meant more trouble, but Terk recognized the voices and was now set at ease. He wouldn't need to worry about things getting out of control tonight.

'Ting-in-in-ing-ing'

Terk looked up from filling a fourth tankard, his suspicions confirmed. The group that walked in was the strangest and smallest yet. In the lead was a big, dark skinned man with a mace slung across his back. His chest was covered by dark metallic armor and his arms were bare save the wide, tight fitting bracelets that covered most of his lower arms. He was followed by a smaller woman, all smiles and sharp eyes. She was dressed in loose silver armor, black wool shirt and pants and was armed with a rapier and assorted daggers. Third through the door was a taller man who didn't appear to be wearing any armor at all. In his right arm was a long spear with a sheathed head. He had a hand axe at his thigh. The man was also smiling, his bright green eyes flashing as he laughed along with the woman. The last man through the door was a mystery to Terk. He had never actually seen the man's face but he spoke to him often. The undeniable leader of this small group, he always kept his cloak on and his hood up, preferring to remain mostly anonymous. These were more mercenaries, but they were a group of a much brighter color.

Terk was filling the last tankard for his previous order when they sat down just right of the bar, between him and the black group.

"Evening folks, be right with ya."

"No hurry, Terk!" It was the woman who answered, her voice as cheerful as her laugh. "We can wait all night!"

The Barkeep chuckled at them. He always had a good night when these guys came in. They had other friends who would be with them sometimes, but usually it was these four. And even if there was a fight, these guys would make short work of it.

The Black Mercs were sneering at the new arrivals as Terk dropped of their drinks and a basket of bread. They immediately started eating and drinking without so much as an acknowledgement. Terk rolled his eyes again as he walked away to get another basket of bread. He wouldn't put a lot of effort into them tonight. That was for sure.

With bread in hand, he now stood by his newest arrivals.

"Good to see you all again. Just finish a job I take it?" He asked, but he didn't need to. He always saw these four after a job brought them to the area.

"Sure did!" The woman responded. "And we've never made off with so much from so little work!"

She made sure to keep her voice down as she said the latter part of that statement.

"Well good for you. What were ya doin', if you don't mind me asking?"

"Sorry, Terk." It was the green-eyed man who spoke now, his spear leaning against the wall behind him. "Can't really talk about it." He was trying to sound serious and important, but the playfulness in his voice betrayed him. That and his smile, which was a mile long.

"Come on, Rain." The woman scoffed at him. "Don't be an ass to Terk. I will have to hurt you."

She said it so innocently, but Rain reacted otherwise.

"Alright, Ashei! No need to get vicious, I was just playing around!" Rain was raising his hands in surrender, obviously concerned for his well being.

"No more of that, you hear me?" Ashei was pointing her index finger and raising her eyebrows at him in silent warning. Rain's raised arms were pushing back at her.

"Okay, Okay, I get it!"

With that Ashei folded her hands in front of her face, smiled sweetly and turned her attention back to Terk.

"We were hired to escort some Labrynan noble home from business on the Terminan Coast. Guess she feared for her safety." Ashei shrugged at her theory, showing that she really didn't know.

"She was afraid because she was traveling so close to Hyrule." The big man broke in, listening and unmoving until now. "Too much uncertainty surrounding her boarders to trust them."

Ashei shrugged and frowned thoughtfully at his statement, nodding to the possibility. Terk flashed a half smile and asked.

"Anything happen."

"Nope!" Rain answered quickly. The big man glowered at him.

"Rain!" His deep voice was warning.

Rain threw his hands up again.

"Oh come on, Dorel! With how hard it was to take care of those marauders, it was as if nothing happened." Ashei was shaking her head into her hand. Dorel was staring at Rain with one eyebrow arched. Even their leader was shaking his head under his hood.

"Just tell it how it is. Leave the exaggeration for the pining girls."

Rain rolled his eyes and smiled. Their leader was the next to speak.

"About twelve raiders from the northern parts of Hyrule came across and attacked. They were disorganized and were banking on intimidation to get the job done." He folded his hands in front of his face, lacing the fingers. "The only thing that was done in the end was them."

Terk often wondered what made this strange young man. Having spoken to him, the barman suspected he used to be a soldier, maybe even an officer. He spoke of battle in cool, calculating terms, always analyzing and planning. And if the way his companions revered him was any sign, he was a monster in battle.

"Well then, I take it we'll all have the usual." Three heads nodded as one. "Will you all have stew or pork?"

"Stew." Three voices sounded in unison. Terk smiled and shook is head.

"Alright, three beers, one Hylian Whiskey and stew all around coming up."

Terk walked back to the bar only to be drawn back by an unmistakable voice.

"Terk." The hooded man called. Terk turned. "Beer for me, too."

The three others at the table were looking at him at once, all bearing the same surprised looks; wide eyes and raised eyebrows. Terk smiled.

"Alright. Four beers it is."

* * *

As their drinks were being prepared, Ashei, Rain and Dorel stayed looking at their leader in a state of shock. He regarded them silently, leaning back with his right leg resting on his left knee. He knew what they were thinking, but he wouldn't address it.

"Correct me if I am wrong," Ashei started. "but you only drink beer when you are in a really good mood."

She was speaking to the leader, who looked down at the table, thinking as he answered.

"You are not wrong. Is there something odd about me being in a good mood?"

Terk had brought back their drinks and was setting them out as she replied.

"Maybe there wouldn't be if I had seen you have more 'good moods'. But to my memory, I've only seen you order beer once. And that was after we won the turf war against the Demon Crest Mercs." She furrowed her brows and leaned back as she continued. "I didn't think that kicking the snot out of some low-life marauders gave you the same feeling."

Terk was off again, tending to his rapidly filling bar stools. Dorel spoke next as he brought his drink away from his lips.

"Ashei, you might not want to ponder over this too much. You probably will never now wha-"

"It's because we were so close to Hyrule."

Ashei and Dorel stared blindly at Rain as he took a long pull from his tankard. There was no doubt or room for error in his statement. He knew what he was talking about. He set down his drink and sighed before he continued.

"Our leader was overjoyed at being so close to our home. We are seeing the results of his homesickness."

Ashei was skeptical.

"Are you joking again, Rain? I don't see HIM as being the type to get sentimental about the past."

Rain smiled and stared at the table for a moment. He looked back up to try and meet the eyes beneath the hood. Those eyes were staring a thousand miles away right now, lost in thought.

"Let me tell you something about our fearless leader… He has a dream. A dream that most would consider him mad for having, including me when we first met." He leaned forward and put his elbows on the table. "Our leader longs for a day when Hyrule is restored. Not just put back on a map as its own sovereignty, but restored to its full glory. A day when our children will sleep safely in their Hylian homes and the Golden Alliance is no more."

Both Ashei and Dorel looked back at their leader, whose eyes were now closed in deep thought. Ashei looked to Dorel.

"All this time I never realized… the man I had followed into countless battles is in fact a hopeless romantic."

"There's nothing romantic about what happened to us, Ashei." When she looked back at him, his eyes were open and fierce. "To wake up one day and find that our land, our Kingdom, lay in ruin. To count the dead and find that thousands were now in the hands of the goddesses. To flee or be imprisoned."

"It's been seven years since the fall of Hyrule. Nothing will bring it back. We just need to accept it and move on."

His eyes were still on her, and burned as if on fire.

"Accept it?" His voice had lost its edge and now bore a hint of sorrow. "I did not think you of all people would say such a thing… Where were you when Hyrule fell?"

His voice was full of compassion when he said the final phrase. Ashei gasped none the less. She didn't need to answer. He knew all to well where she was. All of a sudden she smelled smoke.

"We all know where we were when the final moments came. " Dorel interjected, drawing their leader's attention to him. "That does not change the situation, Sir. Just look at how things are right now. Hyrules armies and people are scattered across the land. The King is imprisoned, possibly dead. The princess died seven years ago. And all of Hyrule is under the iron fist of the leader of the Golden Alliance. We have to get on with our lives and make our own future now. We are Mercenaries! That is our life now."

The leader's steal gaze was unwavering upon his lieutenant.

"Life? Do you call what we do a life, my friend? We became Mercenaries to survive and because it was work that best suited men like us. But to call this a life…" He trailed. "Tell me, Dorel. Where is our home?"

Rain and Ashei looked intensively to Dorel. Dorel crossed his arms and sighed.

"We are Mercenaries… We have no home…"

Under his hood, their leader smiled sadly. He picked up his drink and brought it to his lips.

"Exactly."

As he took a long drink, the other three at the table exchanged thoughtful glances, having no way to answer their commander. Each then looked to his/her own drink, allowing the table to fall into the somber mood the conversation had created; until Rain found a way to lighten the mood.

'Ting-ing-ing'

Rain's eyes were at once upon the next patron and his response caught Ashei's attention immediately.

'whwhwhwheeeewhwh'

Rain's whistle was barely audible, even to those at the table. Ashei's eyes shot to the door to see the cloaked figure, obviously a woman, still standing in the doorway.

"Look at that."

Ashei just rolled her eyes and the other two moved to catch a glance at the woman. Her cloak was thick and very damp as she moved to pull down her hood. What Rain was whistling at were the strands of curly blonde hair seen below the hood and the fit of the woman's modest gray dress, which though worn, was of fair quality. Once her hood was down, they all took note of the woman's beauty. She was fair skinned and had violet eyes, making her Hylian heritage obvious. She also did not appear to do much traveling, since there was no evidence of a less then cushy lifestyle.

"Hhmmff," Ashei growled. "Soft, squishy and pretty. Perfect if you like that sort of thing."

"Well, what if I do like that sort of thing?" Rain shot back, apparently taking what she said personally.

"Well good for you." Ashei responded dryly. "You'll be spending the rest of your life caring for a damsel in distress. She wouldn't last a minute around us or where we live. And look at her, taking off one glove and not the other. I suspect she thinks that having one glove on makes her look tougher then she is. Hah! If she wanted anyone to take her seriously, she should have left them both on."

* * *

And on she prattled, quite irritated by Rain's obvious attraction to the new patron. Ashei and Rain had been with the group for about as long as each other and while they wouldn't admit it to themselves, it was obvious to everyone else that there was a common attraction between the two.

'If they would only stop fighting long enough to realize it.'

He watched them now from behind his hood, bickering at best like brother and sister. He normally would join in the banter and poke fun at both of his close friends, but they knew he wouldn't. That was the way it was when they were in public, especially around rival Merc groups or Imperial Soldiers. He had to have an aura about him that intimidated his enemies. That was how they got half of their jobs and involved in half as many turf wars as other groups. No one questioned the abilities of a group whose leader was so unflinching. No one wanted to fight against a force whose leader could not be predicted. It had worked for years now.

Dorel was chuckling at the younger members of their group when an unexpected voice interrupted them all.

"Excuse me."

Making sure to stay hidden, he looked at the newcomer. It was the girl who had just entered. Woman may have been a better description. She was at least his age.

"Is there something we can do for you, Miss?" Dorel spoke for him.

She looked to Dorel, concern obvious in her eyes but not present on her face. She was trying to put on a brave front.

"I am looking to hire Mercenaries for a rather… important mission. Would you be interested?"

Now he would call her a girl. She had no idea what she was doing. It is usually okay to approach mercs with a job but to do so without certain… verbiage, makes you look like a fool and much more likely to get yourself in trouble. Lucky for her, she was talking to his group.

"Important mission, you say?" Rain added his two cents. "What exactly would we be doing?"

The girl glared at him, annoyance clear on her face. Did she not like to be interrupted?

"You will be fighting. Nothing more, nothing less." A quick 'shing' of metal signaled the blades appearance before any of them saw it. She slowly set the dagger on the table between Ashei and the leader. "And I am not a part of the deal!"

He smirked. She had caught Rain's exploratory looks earlier and was offended by them. Rain's eyebrows were up as he considered the woman who was now threatening him. He smiled disarmingly and raised is hands in surrender. Ashei caught the leader's eyes. She was smiling at nothing in particular, communicating with her eyes that she was impressed by this girl. He was too. Her boldness might be useful to her with other mercs.

"Alright, fighting is something we are very good at." Dorel set the conversation back on track. "But we are just coming off a job and have other things to attend to right now. The price of the job will determine whether we take the time or turn you down. What will the job pay and for how long?"

The question caused the girl's confidence to deflate. Her next statement shocked them all.

"Well… I-I don't actually have anything to pay you right now…" The table was silent, each of the three exchanging off looks. "Payment can only be made… when the job is done…"

Dorel sat back in his chair and laced his fingers, considering the girl in front of him. Ashei seemed as though she couldn't decide whether to laugh or yell. Rain just sat there, looking at her. He on the other hand drilled into her with His eyes, taking a good look for the first time. There was no denying her beauty. Her hair seamed naturally curly and reached just below her shoulders. It also framed her face, making her seem much younger than she probably was. Her Hylian heritage was shown in her angular but smooth features, her long ears and her violet eyes. Such a color was not common among Hylians, but it was also not present in any other race that he was aware of. He had only seen one other pair in his twenty-seven years of life. Her eyes were easily her most striking feature. Still, her beauty not withstanding, She was without a doubt completely mad.

Even people doing this for the first time knew that you never try to hire a Merc with nothing. Mercs draw up contracts for every job. The contract distinctly outlines services owed and charges for said service. To say a merc was going to have to trust you'll get something later to pay them with was a lot like trying to calm down a guard dog after you've already trespassed. It wasn't going to happen.

"Let me tell you something that may save your life in the next few minutes." Dorel was even keeled as he spoke, not wanting to chase the girl away. "If you want to hire a Merc, have something to pay them before you talk to them. Mercs take offense to people toying with them-and regardless," He cut off the girl's rebuttal. "Of your intentions when speaking to them, Mercs will consider you to be toying with them."

She stopped what she was going to say. Instead, she considered them all before continuing.

"Please, I am desperately in need of your services. Will you not help me?"

Dorel shook his head. Frustrated, the girl sighed.

"Very well." She turned to leave. He wasn't ready to let her go.

"Hold on."

She turned back, regarding him with concern, not sure what to make of the mostly silent man. He continued.

"If you have nothing with which to hire a Mercenary... why try? Surely you know you could get into a lot of trouble trying to."

She stared into his eyes as he stared into hers. He suddenly felt a nagging sense of familiarity about this moment, as if he'd held her gaze before.

"I have no choice," She answered. "I must do what must be done and to do that I need warriors."

He sighed. This girl was going to be stubborn. And he was looking forward to a quiet evening.

"What must be done won't be done if you are dead."

A wave of fear surged across her features, causing her to break away from his gaze. It seems he wasn't telling her anything she didn't already know.

"I have no choice…" She whispered the phrase to disguise the fear in her voice. She didn't speak again as she turned and walked away, breathing heavily, recouping from her mixed emotions. He knew where she would head next. As Terk brought their stew, his companions all sighed.

"Let me guess, she's going to the next table?" Ashei's words were less a question and more a statement.

"Yep." He replied.

"We're not going to get to enjoy this wonderful smelling stew yet, are we?" Another statement.

"Nope."

She dropped her spoon loudly on the table and glared at Rain, who was still looking after the girl.

"You see, Rain. Damsel in distress."

He smirked at Ashei as he listened in on the conversation happening at the next table.

* * *

She was afraid. Someone would have to be crazy not to be. Here she was dealing with some of the most dangerous people in the known world. And worse, she was trying to hire them with nothing.

'Maybe I am crazy…' She thought to herself as she surveyed the group that seemed to be finishing their dinner. Six of them sat around the table, and like the group she just talked to, one was a woman.

'Well, hopefully they are as understanding as the last group.'

"Excuse me."

She broke into their conversation politely as she had before. Six pairs of eyes were on her now and judging by the look most of them shared, they thought of her less as a possible employer and more as their next _Meal_.

'Keep up the confidence!' She chastised herself.

"I am looking to hire Mercenaries for some rather… messy business. Would you be interested?"

Her choice of words seemed to sit better with the group, seeing as how they only exchanged curious looks instead of mock her.

"Messy business!" It was the woman who spoke. "You came to the right place, missy. We like messy business. What does the job pay?"

There was the question she had been dreading. She could see that this group was not going to be as kind as the last, so she needed to approach this differently.

"There is no pay upfront." Several of the men glared at her, one of which reached for a dagger. She had to think fast. "That is to say, retrieval of a large number of _Valuable_ items is part of the work. I don't have anything with which to promise you now, but rest assured that what I seek will be more then worth it."

She was still being glared at, though there seemed to be no one ready to stab her. What unnerved her worst, though, was the way their leader was regarding her. She couldn't truly understand what it was she saw in this woman's eyes, but to her, it seemed almost… predatory.

"You make an interesting offer, missy. I wonder, though, what will you do to keep us through the job? You can't get something for nothing, after all."

Her mind raced. This woman was getting at something, something specific. She wasn't sure she liked where this was going.

"As I said, I don't have anything right now to-"

"Sure you do, girly!" The mercenary was regarding her with undisguised hunger as she stood up and closed the distance between them. The warrior began to circle the girl. "You are, after all, very beautiful!"

With a suddenness that defied reason, the mercenary rushed in and kissed the her with wanton passion, and then gave her a hard push. She landed in the waiting arms of two of the men who had stood from the table. Realizing her vulnerable position, she did all she could to shake free.

"Unhand me!" she yelled, thrashing. Her captors grip did not loosen despite her effort. For a moment, she had the attention of every person in the bar. The mercenaries in the front went back to their meal, disinterested. Most everyone else did the same, save for a few brave men scattered throughout the bar. They looked on with concern for the girl's safety, but when the men at the table started glaring their direction, the quickly went back to their drinks.

Their leader sashayed toward her and knelt down. 'I could kick her!' She thought to herself, her mind racing. But she thought better of it. Such actions would only get her into more trouble. The woman spoke as she steadily leaned toward her.

"Don't worry, girly. We are your faithful employees…" The tone of her voice was mocking. "We'll work out the details of our contract, you and I…" She got closer, intending to claim another kiss. "…tonight." She moved to complete the kiss.

"Let her go!"

The command interrupted the black-clad woman less then an inch from the girl's lips. Annoyed, she sighed and withdrew from the girl, the both of them getting a look at who had spoken. Standing from his chair, hood secured wile his cloak billowed over the rest of him, was the mysterious man from the last table. Even with his hood pulled down, his steal eyes could be seen, burning in the shadows.

The girl was never more happy to see someone in her life. Even if she had no idea who he was. The Mercenary, having been so rudely interrupted from her kiss, was not happy.

"Would you like to repeat that?" She walked away from her men and the table, approaching the man. He did the same.

"I said, let her go."

While she was very happy the man had intervened on her behalf, the blonde could not help but feel guilty at dragging him into this unfortunate conflict. She imagined he would have some words for her after this was over... If either of the survived, that is.

"That's what I thought you said… and why should I do that? Hmm? We're discussing business, I and she. What concern is it of yours if we do so?"

The mercenary continued to advance on the man. He no longer was, instead choosing to regard her motionlessly.

"Your idea of business does not meet my approval." His tone was low and warning. "We will not allow you to have your way with the girl."

The woman warrior regarded him with disbelief as she looked over his shoulder at the table where Rain, Ashei and Dorel sat. She scoffed, stifling a laugh in the process. The hooded man looked over his shoulder at his companions. Ashei and Dorel were poised with hands on their weapons, but Rain was sorting through a stack of papers he had produced from his pack. Ashei rolled her eyes.

"Six against three," the merc pondered, frowning momentatily in thought. "I think I like our odds."

As she finished her sentence, the three men still sitting at the table stood and unsheathed some of their weapons. The hooded man regarded the silently.

"What were you not going to let us do again?" She mocked, unsheathing her own sword. Her men laughed at her words. The hooded man did not smile.

"I said we wouldn't let you have your way with that girl." He opened his cloak. "And it's six against four."

The woman looked at his belt. The man was fingering a short sword, a gladious by the looks of it. Compared to her arming sword, it wasn't even a letter opener.

"You think that little blade is going to scare… me…-" She froze mid-sentence. The girl, still in the arms of her male captors, stared in confusion at the merc woman who simply stood there.

That changed when the woman gasped and started to back peddle away from the man. She was traveling too fast to avoid her own chair and tripped over it, landing hard on the floor. Her men watched her sudden movements, momentarily stunned by the display. They looked back to the hooded man and also froze for a moment. That was when the girl caught sight of the emblem shinning on the man's tunic. It was made of gold, that was for certain. It looked like a wolf's head, snarling fiercely and glaring with eyes made of emerald. She had never seen such a symbol, but before she could think on it any further, her captors unceremoniously dropped her.

They moved away from her quickly to join their comrades. Two of the men standing next to the table dropped the weapons they were carrying. Every black-clad man tried to put another couple of feet between themselves and the cloaked figure as he slowly stepped toward their leader. She was still on the ground after tripping and was visibly shaking as he knelt in front of her. Still trying to come to grips with what was happening, the girl thought she saw fear in the woman merc's eyes. The same fear was in the eyes of her men.

'Who is this man!?

"Now… Where were we?"

The man was now at eye level with the disheveled leader. She stuttered for a moment before finding her voice enough to answer.

"We-aahhh… We.. were just leaving! Weren't we boys?!" a chorus of agreements answered her. "I mean… the stew was good and we, uhh, we weren't that hungry… So… We'll be on our way."

She starred into the hood in front of her, barely making out the man's eyes in the shadows. For a moment he did not respond. Then he leaned toward her. She gasped as he stopped just inches in front of her face.

"Have a nice night."

She didn't respond. She shot off the floor, sheathing her sword and collecting her cloak. Her men did the same, some stealing last sips of their drinks or spoonful's of stew before they ran after their retreating leader. As the last one left the table, he threw a coin pouch down in payment of their tab.

The departure of the Black Mercenaries left the bar silent. Every eye was locked on this man, this unknown man who had stopped a conflict without having to raise a hand. The quiet was thick enough to cut.

"Alright you lot, nothing more to see!" Terk snapped everyone out of their shock. "Let them get back to their meal."

And with that the bar returned to normal, people looking to their food and drink now that the excitement was over. The girl still sat on the floor, trying to figure out what had just happened and who this strange man walking toward her really was. Slowly, he held out his hand to her. She took it, not wanting to stay on the floor any longer. He helped her stand and let her go, scanning left and right as she straightened out her dress.

"Thank you, if you hadn't st-!"

With terrible suddenness, the hooded man put his hand on her collar and pushed, driving her into the wall two feet behind her. She didn't hit hard, but her breath still left her from the shock. He moved his hand against her shoulder and held her there. His hidden face was right beside her own, only the hood preventing them from being cheek to cheek. She started to struggle, fearing the worst, but his grip was stronger then the other two men combined.

"I have seen a great many terrible things in my lifetime." She stopped struggling as he began to speak. She could hear a great amount of emotion in the man's voice. What those emotions were, she really couldn't tell. "I have seen men and women burned to death in the homes they felt were safe! I have seen boys and young men, their whole lives ahead of them, struck down in battle, their futures washed away in a river of blood! I have given witness to the downfall of great kingdoms, but I find that there is nothing more terrible then a man or woman with no common sense!"

She was trying to catch her breath as she looked around the room. No one was looking at this area anymore. Either she wasn't in any danger or there would be no one to help her.

"I told you, I can not… No, I will not stop until I have accomplished what I have set out to-"

"And I told you that nothing will be accomplished if you are dead! I knew you were going to be a stubborn one to deal with, but I didn't think you would be stupid, too!"

Stupid!? Who the hell was this man to call her stupid!? What had he done in his life that would give him the right or the knowledge to make such an outrageous claim. Now she was indignant.

"Excuse me! Stupid! You have no idea who I am or what I-"

"I don't need to know you to see that you are rushing headlong into a world you are completely ignorant of! You try, you fail and you think that it was just your presentation that was wrong! You try again and you fail again, but this time you failed with a group that wasn't going to let you just walk away! We warned you and you ignored us! What else could this be, but stupidity?!"

She drew a deep breath and turned her head. Now she could see his eyes. Sharp blue shining in the shadows as they glared at her. She could tell he was a passionate man, full of feeling and vigor. She admired these qualities in him, but he was out of line. He was a mercenary. He could not hope to understand her. She had a purpose. What purpose did he have? War? Battle? Were these the things that drove his emotions? She pitied him, then. Felt sorry for the man who had nothing but his sword. Passion for death and vigor in battle was not what life was meant for. She wished that she could make this man understand that. But she did not have the time. Staring him down, her own gaze steady, she slowly answered him.

"Determination, self sacrifice and hope! That is what drives me to do these things that you would call stupid. But what would a man like you know of these things?! What do you have that equates to these qualities!? These others fear you. You must have killed a great many men in your lifetime to have such a fearsome reputation. But that is all you know! Death and conflict. How can a man like you understand what I must do?! How can I make you understand Honor, when you have none?!"

His gaze did not falter. She did not break from his eyes. They stood there, neither moving under the other's stare. The woman and dark man at the table were exchanging worried glances. The man who had 'admired' her was still sifting through papers. The rest of the bar was oblivious to them. As the silence was earlier, the tension was now; Thick and stifling.

"If I know nothing of Honor, then I am no longer inclined to 'Honor' my better judgment. If you wish to through your life away for this mission of hope, then you may do so. We will not intervene again!"

He released her and turned so swiftly that his cloak billowed out around him as he made his way back to his chair. He did not look at her as he sat down, massaging his left hand with his right. She wished this night had gone differently; that she could make this man see the world in a different light. But she could not help him. She had her own cause to fight for and could not concern herself with him. Without another word, she walked away.

* * *

She was a bigger fool then he had first thought. She was so willing to throw herself into the world; so ready to die for this nameless cause. Still, He admired her grit. She was not as soft and squishy as Ashei first believed. She had strong character and truly believed in her mission. It took a special type of person to do that. Course, she could just be crazy.

"Scar giving you trouble, again?"

Dorel's voice broke him out of his thoughts. He was still massaging his hand. He thought that he had hit it wrong when he pinned the girl to the wall, but the pain wasn't in his wrist, it was on the back of his hand. And the pain wasn't going away. Dorel and everyone else knew about the 'scar' that he kept hidden under his left gauntlet. If they knew the truth, they would never look at him the same.

"Yeah…"

"Well, thank you very much Rain for your support during our recent tense situation!" Ashei could no longer contain her irritation. "I mean here we are about to get into a fight with another group of mercenaries and your searching for you last piece of dignity! What are you looking for that is so-"

"She's wanted!"

Rain's declaration stopped them all in their tracks. Rain had stopped sifting the papers and was now just looking at one.

"What?" Ashei was confused.

"I though I recognized her from somewhere and sure enough," He handed the paper to Ashei. "there she is."

Ashei took the paper and examined it a moment before her eyes went wide.

"Ten thousand rupees!" The group leaned forward, shock on registered on every face. "She has a ten thousand rupee price on her head!"

She handed the paper off to Dorel. He questioned the younger man.

"Where did you get this, Rain."

"Two days ago we were in Ramanath on the Hylian boarder. There's a Terminan garrison there and they put up posters for all the bounties out. I always grab a copy of each in case we run into any of them."

Dorel handed the paper off to their leader. He looked at it skeptically. The image was definitely their blonde friend shown on the poster. It wasn't perfect, but a hand drawing often isn't. The paper did indicate that the Terminan Empire wanted her in custody; Alive. But why?

'ERrgg'

He grunted and flexed his hand. The pain had surged. This had only happened like this twice before... and both times had saved his life. But why now?

"She's talking to the Crimson Bright! Is there any way we can nab her before they realize who she is?!" Ashei had posed the question to the table, but they were looking at the wayward outlaw. Rain answered her.

"Not anymore." They all watched as one of the red-clad mercenaries slowly stepped away from the group and out the door. The rest of the kept talking to the outlaw. They seemed to be interested in what she was saying, but he knew they were just stalling. "He's probably going to get the soldier's we saw stationed on the outskirts of town. There will be no living with them after this. The minute they get a bounty that big when we didn't they'll-"

"What did she do?!"

Their commander was staring after their would-be quarry. He was still massaging and flexing his hand, making him look almost nervous.

"Why is Termina so intent on getting her?!

The other three didn't answer. They knew that tone in their leader's voice. He was thinking hard. Trying to understand something that was beyond his immediate sight; and the same question was on all of their minds. They couldn't answer it. All they could do was wait for the soldier's to get there. All they could do is watch as this innocent looking girl was arrested and one of their biggest rivals took credit for it. What would happen then?

* * *

**Sorry it took so long to get this chapter out. I was having problems with getting it loaded onto the site. Keep your eyes peeled for ch 3. I'll be working on ch 7 of Seventh Seal next. Nice cliffhanger here, so I'd love to hear your theories about what will happen next. Until next time...**

**Stay Frosty!**


End file.
